


Not Another Living Thing

by MiddleofNowhere92



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27357637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddleofNowhere92/pseuds/MiddleofNowhere92
Summary: Ty Lee brings home another animal and her boyfriend Zuko pretends to be grumpy about it.
Relationships: Ty Lee & Zuko (Avatar), Ty Lee/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 42





	Not Another Living Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Ty Lee and Zuko live in my head rent free with this exact dynamic. 
> 
> Rated T for multiple F bombs

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket a few times in a row, which had to mean my girlfriend was texting me. She insisted on multiple short texts instead of just one message and it drove me up the wall. 

I grumbled as I pulled out my phone, “Sokka, I swear to fucking god if she brought home another animal, I’m gonna lose my shit.” My friend rolled his eyes at me, because he had been hearing me complain about my girlfriend’s knack for bringing home every animal she came in contact with since she moved in with me two years ago. 

I continued grumbling anyway, “All she had to do was get groceries today, that’s it and I bet you $7 she brought home another fucking animal.” Sokka shot me a look, “No way am I taking that bet.”

My lockscreen had seven unread messages from my girlfriend. I unlocked my phone.

_Babe: Heyyyy Baaaaaabe_

_Babe: So I was at the store_

_Babe: and this lady was just dumping this puppy_

_Babe: like can u believe????_

_Babe: Just dumping a puppy!!!_

_Babe: Lik who does that????_

_Babe: Attachment_

The picture loaded and it was a rottweiler puppy. I fucking loved rotties. They were just so cute, but cuteness aside it was the principal of the matter. 

_Me: Ty Lee.._

_Babe: I knoooooow I was just supposed to go to the store_

_Babe: But lik I cldnt leave him. He needs us_

_Babe: I named him Zuko jr._

_Babe: Zucchini for short_

_Me: After this one do not bring home another living thing!_

_Babe: kloveu babe_

_Babe: Tell Sokka I say Hi!!_

We finished up the work day and then I got in my truck and headed home. I pulled in the driveway and unlocked the front door. I cracked open the door enough to get a leg in to contain the horde of animals trying to escape. 

Our five, now six, dogs bounced up and down and wagged their tails at me as soon as I walked in. I had to pet all of them vigorously. Once I finished, the three cats had lined up on the back of the couch to greet me. I gave everyone scratches until the meowing stopped. I peaked in the fish tank. I turned the corner into the small mammal room and checked on the three hamsters, two chinchillas and three hedgehogs. I peaked under the couch and our tortoise was sleeping peacefully. 

I held our cat, Honor, as I looked out the window. Ty was finishing up feeding the four goats, the pig and the five chickens. If she wasn’t bringing animals home, people in the neighborhood knew we were the crazy animal people so every type of animal was dumped on the front porch. I sighed, shaking my head. I never once thought this would be my life. I thought maybe if I got lucky I would have a nice house in the city with the obligatory 2.5 kids and a wife that tolerated me. 

But this was so much better than that. Ty had such a big heart, she couldn’t help but love every single thing. Yeah, I gave her a hard time about the animals, but I had a reputation to uphold as the grumpy one in the relationship. Even though, I think everyone, including Ty Lee, knew she had me wrapped around her finger. 

I pulled out a frying pan to start some stir fry for dinner. The pack of dogs laid down around the kitchen, because they knew I would be giving them bits of vegetable and meat. I heard the back door shut as Ty walked in the house. She came behind me and wrapped her arms around me. 

I kept cooking, “Don’t think this gets you off the hook.” I felt her sag into her knees a little bit and she whined, “But ZU-Koooh.” 

Over the years I had learned that I could usually figure out what my girlfriend wanted based on the way she said my name. 

ZU-Kooooh- Babe I really want this

Zuko! - Typically a good morning or a hello

And my personal favorite-

Zuuuuuukooooh- Babe let’s go to the bedroom

I kept focusing on the food, “You can whine all you want, but I’m serious, we can’t handle another living thing in this house.” Sokka had convinced me to come work with him out in the bumble fuck middle of nowhere and I had been able to buy a large farmhouse with plenty of land for dirt cheap. 

She held the rotty up in my periphery, “But ZU-Kooooh, look at how cuuuute he is.” I sighed, “Ty, all of the animals are very cute, that’s not the point.” She continued to wriggle the puppy, “But Baaaaabe, that lady was literally dumping him like trash!” I set our plates on the counter and started eating. She huffed, “I guess if you don’t want to keep him we can find him a foster home.”

Ty Lee’s argument strategy was multifaceted:

Phase 1: Do what she wanted to do. It was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. 

Phase 2: Whine when I gave her a hard time about it. 

Phase 3: Negotiate to terms, but never actually hold up her end of the negotiation. 

We were currently in phase three. I gave Bosco a piece of meat. We were supposed to be fostering him too, but we mysteriously hadn’t found a home in the year and a half that we had, had him. I sighed, “You say that and I don’t know if you know this, but fostering means rehoming them, not hoarding them. You have a problem. You’re an animal hoarder. I’m calling the producers of hoarders.”

She grinned as he took a bite of food, “If I’m a hoarder then you’re an enabler.” Touche. I fucking was an enabler. All she really had to do was want something and I would get it for her. She had made me into a big fucking softy and Sokka and Aang ribbed me about it every chance they got. 

I noticed she wasn’t eating a lot. I glanced up at her, “Everything ok?” She chewed her lip, “So I know you said we couldn’t take another living thing in this house…” I facepalmed, “Ty are you serious? Look at us, we live in a fucking zoo!” Bosco took that as his cue to start chasing Honor around the dining room. 

I held my head in my hand and looked at my girlfriend who actually looked nervous? I put my hand out for hers, “What’s wrong babe?” Her grey eyes looked up at mine and she looked like she was gonna cry, “Zuko, please don’t be mad, but, um, I went to the doctor this morning and I’m pregnant.”

I felt like my eyes were gonna bulge out of my sockets, “You’re what?” She mumbled, “Pregnant.” I went to her side of the counter and pulled her to me. I crushed her into my chest. She squeaked, “Are you mad?” I stroked her hair, “Fuck no, I’m so fucking happy babe.” I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt. Mine were streaking down my face. 

She pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket of her hoodie. I unfolded it and sure enough Ty Lee Ping, 24, was pregnant. I finished reading it and asked, “Why does this say there are two babies?”

She looked up at me, “Remember how multiples run in my family? Weelllll, we’re having twins.” I threw my head back laughing, “Of course we fucking are.”

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a tumblr or instagram post of the headcannon about Mai getting Zuko a cat named Honor. If I find it again I'll link it.
> 
> I read a Zukka fic where Ty Lee's last name was Ping and I was like yep, that's her last name, so I'll try to dig that up to credit them. 
> 
> If anyone has any requests for this ship just comment them. I love these two and I love writing them. I probably have a solid five fics of them that I haven't posted yet. 
> 
> Also if you want to witness me melting down while writing my tumblr is MiddleofNowhere92. It is the laziest tumblr you ever seen in your life, but I just post fic ideas and have meltdowns trying to write.


End file.
